- Anastasiia Dudko
Introductory
- Bank transfer
- Credit card
Event Organizer(s)
Description
This course addresses one of the most critical enablers of digital transformation: the ability of public institutions to exchange data securely and effectively across organizational and national boundaries. While many countries are modernizing digital government systems, interoperability remains a persistent challenge, especially when legal, organizational, semantic, and technical layers are not aligned. The course provides practical guidance for designing and governing cross-border data exchange ecosystems, drawing on proven approaches such as the Nordic–Baltic experience, the European Interoperability Framework and other global examples Participants will develop knowledge, awareness, and strategic perspectives to help them plan and support interoperable systems that contribute to more efficient public service delivery, trusted digital cooperation, and stronger institutional readiness over time.
The course is intended for policymakers and government officials interested in public sector digitalization, data exchange, digital transformation, and interoperability. No ICT background is required.
None. Participants donot require prior knowledge to take this course.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Examine the legal, organizational, semantic, and technical dimensions that influence cross-border data exchange and interoperability in the public sector.
- Analyze the governance, policy, and coordination mechanisms needed to support secure and scalable interoperability ecosystems.
- Assess the applicability of interoperability frameworks (e.g., the European Interoperability Framework) in national or sectoral contexts.
- Formulate strategic recommendations to strengthen cross-border data exchange readiness, including key enabling and inhibiting factors.
The course will consist of online lecture-led presentations, case studies, in-class discussions, and reflection throughout the course sessions. Additionally, the course contains small corresponding written tasks structured around the course topics from e-governance professionals in Estonia and around the world.
Learning will be assessed through four online mini assignments submitted via Moodle. Each assignment is aligned to the session topic and evaluates the participant’s ability to apply course concepts to a real or plausible cross-border data exchange context. The four assignments together form a structured Policy Portfolio artifact.
- Moodle course (4 mini-assignments / Policy Portfolio): 60%
- Attendance and participation (live sessions): 40%
A total score higher than 70% is required to obtain the ITU certificate.
Day 1 - Cross-Border Data Exchange as a Public Value and Regional Cooperation Enabler
This session introduces cross-border data exchange as a core capability for regional digital cooperation and modern public service delivery. It explores why seamless interoperability matters for mobility, trade, crisis response, and service continuity, and why many initiatives fail despite strong political intent. Participants will examine real-world drivers and constraints, and frame interoperability not as a purely technical objective, but as a strategic governance challenge that requires coordinated action across institutions and jurisdictions.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to explain why cross-border interoperability is a strategic enabler for digital government, regional cooperation, service continuity, mobility, trade, and crisis response. Participants will also be able to identify common barriers (institutional, legal, technical, political) that make cross-border data exchange difficult.
Activities:
Lecture-based, guided discussion, country-context reflection, short group mapping exercise.
Day 2 - Interoperability Foundations: Legal, Organizational, Semantic, and Technical Layers
This session builds a shared conceptual foundation by unpacking interoperability as a multi-layered challenge. Participants will explore how legal mandates, institutional arrangements, semantic alignment (data meaning), and technical standards and protocols must work together for cross-border exchange to function reliably and safely. The session also introduces how interoperability frameworks can serve as practical reference points for diagnosing gaps and structuring national or sectoral improvement efforts.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to distinguish the four interoperability layers and analyze how misalignment across these layers affects implementation. Participants will also be able to relate these layers to their own national or sectoral context.
Activities:
Lecture-based, framework walkthrough, group discussion, structured reflection, mini case comparison.
Day 3 - Governance Models and Trust for Cross-Border Data Exchange
This session focuses on the governance and trust conditions that make cross-border data exchange sustainable over time. Participants will examine how roles and responsibilities are allocated across institutions, how accountability and decision rights are structured, and how trust is operationalized through agreements, assurance mechanisms, and oversight. Drawing on regional ecosystem examples (e.g., Nordic–Baltic-inspired approaches, Modular/GovStack aligned approaches), the session highlights how governance choices shape adoption, scalability, and long-term resilience.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to analyze governance arrangements needed for cross-border data exchange, including institutional roles, accountability, coordination mechanisms, trust models, and data stewardship responsibilities. Participants will also be able to assess enabling conditions for sustainable cooperation across agencies and jurisdictions.
Activities:
Lecture-based, case discussion (e.g., regional/Nordic-Baltic-inspired examples), stakeholder mapping exercise, plenary reflection.
Day 4 - Strategic Pathways for Implementation: From Readiness to Action
This session translates concepts into implementation planning. Participants will explore how to assess readiness for cross-border interoperability, identify feasible entry points, and structure phased implementation pathways under real-world constraints (capacity, legal complexity, funding, and institutional fragmentation). The session emphasizes strategy development: how to prioritize steps, align stakeholders, and build momentum through achievable initiatives that can later be scaled into broader ecosystems.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to assess cross-border interoperability readiness in a selected context and formulate strategic recommendations for strengthening policy alignment, institutional coordination, and phased implementation. Participants will also be able to prioritize practical next steps based on constraints and opportunities.
Activities:
Lecture-based, guided diagnostic exercise, peer discussion and final reflection.
Tutors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
